When it comes to “recycling”—both audience and ideas—nothing beats American talk radio. In the daily quest for ratings and revenue, NewsTalk programmers are always scouring every available source and tapping the creativity of their hosts and producers to create the “next big thing.” But in the process, they often miss the opportunity to craft compelling new concepts that truly break the mold in favor of recycling shopworn ideas and settling for knockoffs of existing successes.

(If I had a dime for every pitch that tried to sell me on a talent being “the black Rush Limbaugh” or “the gay Rush Limbaugh” or “the Gen X Rush Limbaugh” I could retire in a nice mansion next to the real Rush Limbaugh.)

Recycling…“going green”…stretching our resources by seeking economies of scale. All these are great ideas for the environment. But they fall far short of the mark when it comes to creating powerful, compelling talk radio.

Back in 1997, current Merlin Media COO Walter Sabo created what he called “Programming Visionary Awards” which he bestowed on groundbreaking radio people like Gabe Hobbs, Tom Bigby, Denise Oliver and Kevin Straley among others, recognizing their penchant for launching new concepts, breaking the mold in programming and news, and for just being risk-takers.

In 2011, in the midst of consolidation and cost-controls and downsizing, some folks in talk radio hug the ground and pray they’re not the next ones on the chopping block…while others still have the fire, the imagination and—yes—the “vision” to break new barriers. A couple of examples:

• Michael Castner, who hosts The Daily Wrap on the Wall Street Journal Radio Network, is like the bizarre-world version of the stodgy print image of the WSJ: he’s funny (background includes E! Entertainment TV), savvy on political matters, a terrific interviewer, and he makes everything from the Japanese earthquake to a story about disposable diapers electrifying.
• My Salem Radio Network colleague Mike Gallagher is a Renaissance man who daily invites listeners inside his personal life—from the sadness of his late wife Denise’s valiant battle against cancer to the high of his recent Broadway debut in the musical “Memphis”—while still tackling breaking news and tough issues. Phenomenal “bonding” with his P-1’s.
• Las Vegas-based Heidi Harris is gaining momentum not only in radio and as an author but—increasingly—as the conservative “piñata” on MSNBC with liberal hosts like Ed Schultz…who often end up the worse for wear, disarmed by Harris’s intelligence and humor.
• Bruce Sallan is a blogger, author and radio host who has carved a niche for himself by focusing on challenges of being a father. Many writers don’t translate well in broadcasts. Bruce does. He’s engaging, thought-provoking, and probably will never utter the words Andy Rooney used recently to sign off his 60 Minutes career: “If you do see me in a restaurant, just let me eat my dinner.”

What sets these people apart from your garden variety talk hosts? They are unique, one-of-a-kind individuals who aren’t focus-grouped or test-marketed into conforming with conventional programming ideas. They break format, they take risks, and here’s that word again…they’re visionaries.

But beyond the labels (or my admittedly subjective and somewhat truncated list of hosts who are breakouts, above), it still boils down to the creative atmosphere in which talk radio hosts flourish or devolve into by-rote Drudge Report echo chambers, reciting the headlines and following the parade, rather than being true opinion leaders who challenge their audiences to really think outside the box.

There’s a great scene in 1978’s Superman: The Movie in which Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor is explaining vision to his dimwitted assistant Otis, played by Ned Beatty. “You know, Otis,” says Luthor, “some people can read War and Peace and come away thinking it’s a simple adventure novel, while others can read the ingredients on a chewing gum wrapper and unlock the secrets of the universe.” (Jump cut to Otis squinting at the edge of a Juicy Fruit wrapper.)

That pretty much sums up the choice for those of us blessed to guide the fortunes of talk radio in 2011 and beyond: either we see the medium as a place to try new things, take chances, experiment—even if we fail—and experience the exhilaration of reaching beyond our grasp. Or we can accept the role our critics saddle us with, as bellyaching complainers who rally peasants with pitchforks via manufactured “controversy” over guns, abortion, and Presidential birth certificates.

Talk radio’s mission must be to go beyond simply “recycling” old issues and topics. We need to meld our base in terrestrial radio with New Media, digital and technologies yet to be invented, and to connect with new audiences locally, nationally and around the world who will always be drawn to the magic of what our programming delivers best: the powerful impact of the spoken word.